Life, Love, and Laughter
by fuzzyfirebunny
Summary: Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao never imagined they'd find themselves at the Wu Palace...but when a twist of fate lands them there, how will they affect the lives of those around them? SCDQ, ZYXQ, and maybe some other pairings. R&R, pleeaaasee! :D [COMPLETE!]
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own any of these characters. If I did, I'd be off in Fiji, not writing on Fanfiction. :D**

It was a cool day in the palaces of Fief Qiao. Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao were in the garden, picking peaches. Xiao was eating half of the peaches that she picked, while Da carefully placed every single one of hers in her basket.

The light gleamed off of Da's black hair as brightly as it bounced off of Xiao's. "Come on, Da!" Xiao urged, popping a ripe peach in her mouth. "You've got to try one of these!"

Da glanced down at the peach in her hand, and gave in to temptation. She took a bite, savoring the sweet flavor.

Xiao laughed in delight. "See? I told you so!"

Da grinned, setting down her basket. "Really, now?" She ran over to her little sister and began tickling her.

Xiao squealed, squirming to get away. "Stop, Da! I'm ticklish!"

Da raised her eyebrows mischievously. "I know."

"My daughters! Is that any way for ladies to act?" Duke Qiao's voice rang across the garden. Da immediately moved away from her sister.

"Da Qiao! I am surprised at you, you who are usually so ladylike!" Duke Qiao reprimanded her. Da dropped her head low.

"And Xiao, you will never get a husband if you continue to act so roguishly!" her father lectured. Xiao stuck up her chin defiantly.

Despite his gruff manners, Duke Qiao really loved his daughters very much. All he wanted was for them to act ladylike, so that they could get husbands and be well provided for. Then, they could be as annoying and tomboyish as they liked.

"Come in for supper very soon," Duke Qiao said, going back inside. "You may give your peaches to the cook."

Xiao glanced down at her half filled basket. "As if! Come on, we have to sneak these into our room to eat at night! There's no way I'm giving these to the cook."

"You heard Father," Da hoisted her basket on her shoulder. "Come, Xiao."

"Awww, please, Da!" Xiao whined. "I want to take them to our rooms to eat! You can't really want to give these to that old cook. She'll eat them all!"

But Da was firm. "You heard our father, Xiao Qiao. Now let's go inside."

Xiao folded her arms across her chest, pouting. "No. If you want to take these to the cook, you'll have to take them yourself."

Patiently, Da knelt down and carefully put Xiao's basket over her shoulder. Xiao felt a momentary pang of guilt as she watched her sister go inside, knowing she had vexed Da once again.

Xiao sighed. Da hadn't been like this when they were younger. How come she had to go and get all ladylike, anyway?

She saw a shadow flit across the garden. What was that? Xiao spun around, reaching for the small fans she always had concealed with her. Her heart hammering loudly, Xiao scanned the garden, but saw no one.

It must have been a trick of the light, Xiao decided, and headed inside.

After supper, Da and Xiao decided to go for a walk. They slipped out of the palace and began walking towards their favorite childhood place, the YueShi, or "Moon Rock." From there, they could see the whole sky glittering with stars.

As they walked, Xiao suddenly felt Da tense behind her.

"What is it?" Xiao asked, laying a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Nothing, it's just…" Da frowned, looking around. "I could swear I saw a figure go by." She shook her head.

"Me too, me too!" Xiao cried. "I saw a shadow today in the garden." She began to tremble. "What is it, Da? Are they going to hurt us?"

"Hush, Xiao," Da commanded, thinking hard. Five seconds passed, and nothing happened. Da relaxed. It had probably just been her imagination.

Then suddenly, out of the bushes, sprang a tall figure. He grabbed the two Qiaos, muffling their screams with his hands, and pushed them back into the shadows. Da felt something hit her on the back of her head, and then she saw darkness…

Xiao woke up first. She opened her eyes slowly. Her first instinct was to look for her sister. "Da?" There was no reply. "Da Qiao!"

"W-what?" Da asked, sitting up and blinking.

"You're alive!" Xiao cried. She sprang to give her sister a warm hug.

"Yes, and sore all over," Da replied. She looked around her. "Where are we?"

They were in a huge room. It was decorated lavishly, with gold brocade curtains, jade ornaments, a lush carpeted floor, and other ostentatious amenities. There was a huge bed, tall and springy, on which they were lying.

"Definitely not in Fief Qiao," Xiao replied, shivering.

"Quite right," an oily voice said behind them. Xiao screamed, clutching to her sister.

A fat man was standing before them. He wasn't very tall, but he was attired ostentatiously with gold rings and fancy bracelets.

"My name is Dong Zhuo," the man said with a smirk. "You've been brought to my palace so that I can enjoy you."

"Ewwww, you sick person!" Xiao cried, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at him with all her might. Dong Zhuo dodged it. His eyes traveled over Da's slim figure, and she shuddered.

Xiao noticed his gaze. "Don't you dare touch my sister!" she commanded fiercely, looking much older than her nineteen years.

Dong Zhuo chuckled. "Be careful now, or I may just put you in less…comfortable living quarters, hmm?"

He sighed mockingly. "I don't have much time to spend with you now, unfortunately. But," now he was speaking to Da, "you can look for me tonight." With a last sinister laugh, Dong Zhuo left.

Xiao Qiao held onto Da. "Oh no, sis! He's going to hurt you!"

"Not if I can help it," Da answered calmly. She produced a pair of red and gold metal edged fans.

Xiao's eyes widened. "You know how to use those?"

Da nodded. "But we're no match for the palace guards. There's just too many of them. Maybe somebody will try a rescue."

Xiao took out her own fans. "I think we can do it ourselves, don't you?"

Da shook her head. "Be practical, Xiao. Dong Zhuo has a big army, not to mention numerous guards. We won't stand a chance."

Xiao stuck out her lower lip. "We don't know till we try."

"No, Xiao," Da grabbed her sister by the shoulders, looking into her eyes. "We're not taking that risk. What will you do if I die? Or what will I do if you die?" She released Xiao.

Xiao Qiao sighed, flopping back onto the bed. "Then I guess we wait, huh?"

A/N: So there you have it! I have most of this story written already and I'll try to post it up ASAP. But please, please, please review? This is my first DW fanfic and I'd love you forever if you'd review! (puppy dog eyes)

ily,

Jo


	2. Chapter 2

Meanwhile, in the palaces of Wu, Sun Ce and his sworn brother, Zhou Yu, were arguing about the pros and cons of going on a midnight adventure.

"That's so dumb!" Zhou Yu cried. "What if you get slain? You are the future heir, you know!"

"But it's so boring here," Sun Ce argued. "Besides," he added, suppressing a shudder. "There are too many _fangirls _here. How come they've recently started targeting me?"

"Because," Zhou Yu replied practically, "it took them that long to get it through their heads that one, you're good looking, and two, you're the heir to the throne."

Sun Ce groaned. "How come they targeted you first?"

"Because," Zhou Yu answered, "I'm so good looking that even they recognized it immediately." He smiled at himself in the mirror.

"But we're getting off topic," Sun Ce reminded him. He folded his arms stubbornly. "If you're not going, I'll go alone."

Zhou Yu sighed. "Does it look like I have a choice?"

"Where exactly are we going?" Zhou Yu demanded that night as they set off on their horses.

"Um…" Sun Ce thought. "Dong Zhuo's palace."

"Dong Zhuo's palace?!" Zhou Yu nearly choked. "Why in Wu are we going there?"

"Because he's a pompous brat and we're most likely gonna find adventure there," Sun Ce said.

"Great reasons," Zhou Yu muttered.

After a while riding, during which Zhou Yu complained three times about the stupidity of the idea, they reached the palace. It was very big, and very well guarded.

"Okay, we've reached Dong Zhuo's palace, now can we please _leave_?" griped Zhou Yu.

"Listen!" Sun Ce became quiet and he motioned for his brother to do the same.

"…no way Father is going to do a rescue attempt!" came the voice of a young girl. "We should try to break out!"

"Where is that coming from?" Zhou Yu asked. Sun Ce pointed to a window about three floors up.

"Listen, Xiao Qiao, for the last time, we're not taking that risk."

"What a beautiful voice," Sun Ce murmured. Zhou Yu glanced at him. It wouldn't be the first time Sun Ce had fallen in love, nor, he doubted, the last. But he had chosen a bad place to do it.

"We're going to—" Sun Ce began.

"We are _not _going to save them!" Zhou Yu interrupted him, frowning. "They're probably just servant girls Dong Zhuo captured to have fun with!"

"…people don't know we're the daughters of Duke Qiao!" Xiao's voice could be heard.

Zhou Yu's eyes widened. "All right. I take that back."

"Think of the gold we could make if we returned them to Duke Qiao," Sun Ce coaxed. "Not to mention how good that would look on our records. 'Saving daughters of wealthy noble.'"

"Oh yes, Lord Sun Jian will love that until he hears that we snuck out in the _middle of the night_ to 'save the daughters of a wealthy noble,'" Zhou Yu pointed out.

Sun Ce glared at him.

"I don't know how I end up getting persuaded to do these things," Zhou Yu sighed, heading for the entrance. Sun Ce followed him, after mumbling under his breath about cowardly sworn brothers.

They got past the guards easily. After years of fighting Cao Cao and other fine officers, guards were nothing to Sun Ce and Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu let out his breath impatiently. "Okay, genius brother. Where exactly are these two girls?"

"Um…up there!" Sun Ce decided, pointing up the stairs.

By some miraculous chance of luck, he was actually right. Sun Ce opened the door cautiously, and immediately got hit by a hard pillow.

"Hey!" he gasped, throwing the pillow off of him. He looked up. There stood a brown haired young girl, with eyes of fury and determination.

She relaxed as she saw him. "Oh. You're not Dong Zhuo. I thought you were gonna come take away Da."

"Da?" Sun Ce looked past her.

There stood the loveliest girl he had ever seen. Her hair was as black as the night itself, braided in two braids that hung down the side of her face. Her eyes were brilliant and clear. In her hands, she held two metal edged red fans.

"I'm sorry for my sister's rude behavior," Da apologized, dragging Xiao away. "But we thought you were Dong Zhuo."

Sun Ce rubbed his head. "Actually, my brother Zhou Yu and I are here to rescue you."

"Really?" Da's eyes brightened with hope. "And…who is this Zhou Yu you speak of?"

"That would be me," Zhou Yu stepped out, clearing his throat and smoothing back his hair. "Gorgeous, aren't I?"

Before Da could answer, Xiao gave a most unladylike snort. "Yeah, if you're comparing yourself to a cow."

Zhou Yu's eyes snapped open. He glowered at Xiao. "And who are you?"

"Lady Xiao Qiao, sister of Da Qiao," Xiao replied with dignity.

"Poor Da Qiao, then," Zhou Yu said under his breath.

"I heard that!" Xiao retorted angrily. Sparks practically flew between the two of them.

"Okay, okay," Sun Ce said hastily, stepping between the two. "I'll take Da, ZU, you take Xiao, and we'll meet up at the palace gates. We should split up so that Dong Zhuo won't find us."

"How come I'm stuck with Xiao?" Zhou Yu complained.

"Because," Sun Ce replied smugly, "beautiful women like _me_." He offered his arm to Da Qiao, who had to suppress a laugh even while she blushed.

Da held her fans at the ready as she followed Sun Ce. She was too well aware of the fact that her face was burning. She had never been fascinated by a man before, but there was something about Sun Ce.

Sun Ce, for his part, was still reeling from Da. He'd had some minor loves before, but none of them had ever made him as dizzy as he was now, whenever he thought about Da. Besides, she was far lovelier than anyone he'd ever seen. Sun Ce wasn't much of a poet, but his first thought was that her eyes were like pure jade.

"Uh…do you know where we're going?" Da asked.

Sun Ce jerked to attention. "What?" He glanced around him. Where was he going? He gave himself a shake. "Sorry. Um, we go this way."

"You know, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever met," Sun Ce said, glancing at Da.

Da blushed, looking down. "Thank you. And you, my lord, when I first saw you, I could tell you were noble enough to be the heir to the throne."

Sun Ce let himself put a hand on her black locks. He was glad Zhou Yu wasn't here to hear Da's remarks. He probably would have never stopped laughing.

Meanwhile, Xiao Qiao and Zhou Yu were having a very different type of conversation.

"Who are you, anyway?" Xiao demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

"_Lord _Zhou Yu," her companion replied.

"Oh, _Lord_," Xiao responded with a sniff. "Of course."

Zhou Yu scowled at her. "You are a woman. Keep in your proper place. You have no right to speak to me at all."

Xiao's temper flared, and she had to hold herself back from hitting him to show that conceited idiot what "women" could do. Instead, she contented herself with answering, "And tell me, _Lord _Zhou Yu, do all men from wherever you come from go around with their weapon loosely in their hands, just asking for attack?"

Zhou Yu looked down and realized she was right. He wasn't even holding his blade at attention. If they were attacked now, well, chances were he would've been unprepared.

He folded his arms. "Lady Xiao Qiao, my job is to get you out of here safely, and that's what I'm going to do."

"And my job," retorted Xiao, "is to, one, make you stop calling me _Lady_, and two, make sure you don't get us killed with your arrogant nonsense."

Zhou Yu spluttered, "How dare you call me arrogant!"

Xiao merely sniffed with disdain and turned away, as silent as a cat.

Zhou Yu clenched his fists. Breathe, Zhou Yu, breathe, he told himself, trying to calm down. You'll be rid of her soon. Do it for Sun Ce.

Lucky duck, Zhou Yu thought, frowning. Sun Ce got to hit it off with a gorgeous girl. How come he got all the bad luck?

A/N: Yay! I think this is going to turn out to be a fairly long fic…but I'll try to condense it as much as possible. And warning, there might be some more mature romantic themes in later chapters…but I guess we'll wait and see!

ily,

Jo


	3. Chapter 3

Da Qiao moved as quietly as she could, fans at the ready. But she wasn't really all that scared. Sun Ce would protect her, she was sure of that. They made it to the gates, and then got into a minor skirmish with a palace guard.

Before he gave his last breath, though, the dying man managed to scream out, "Intruder! Intruder!"

Sun Ce flinched. He must've woken up the whole castle.

Dong Zhuo's voice could be heard, roaring across the entire floors of his home. "What?! The Qiaos have escaped?!?!?"

Never had he been more tempted to swear, but Sun Ce held himself back, reminding himself that he was in the presence of a lady. He grabbed Da's hand; this was no time for court niceties. "Can you run?"

Da nodded, an expression of rare courage and determination on her face. "Yes."

"Then run," Sun Ce ordered, and bolted himself, ignoring the attacking palace guards.

"I think I see my sister!" Da panted, pointing ahead. Sun Ce looked. Sure enough, Zhou Yu and that other Qiao girl were heading towards them.

"Well, we all made it here safely," Sun Ce said with relief.

Da nodded. "Thank you. I am in your debt. But we are not safe yet. Let us cross the river and head south!"

Xiao gasped, pressing closer to her sister as she saw more and more guards approach. "There's so many! Let's hide for now."

Sun Ce and Zhou Yu held a quick conferral. At last, Zhou Yu said, "We will attempt to cross the river and head south."

"You plagiarized off my sister," Xiao muttered, but followed him nonetheless.

"Where's Dong Zhuo?" Sun Ce demanded as he fended off a palace guard.

Zhou Yu executed a quick swing of his blade, beheading two guards at the same time. "I don't know. My guess is probably heading towards us."

Sun Ce groaned. "Thanks. You made my day."

"Glad to oblige," Zhou Yu replied grimly. He glanced around; there were no more guards. "Well?" he said sharply, glancing at Da and Xiao. "What are you waiting for? Run!"

The two sisters stood their ground, glaring. "We can fight too," Da said.

"Yeah," Xiao chimed in. "We're just as good as you."

Zhou Yu rolled his eyes. "But of course, Lady Xiao Qiao."

Da grabbed her sister before she could head at Zhou Yu with her fans and prove how good she was. They didn't need Xiao and Zhou Yu getting in a fight now.

Sun Ce must have had the same idea, because he too grabbed Zhou Yu's robes and said, "Come on. We'll all go south."

More and more guards were pressing on them now. "Is that an officer?" Sun Ce said in disbelief, squinting to see. "Dong Zhuo set his whole army on us?"

Zhou Yu rubbed his eyes wearily. "He must really like you two. Personally, I don't see what happened to his good judgment."

Xiao bit her lip, trying not to scream. He was the most conceited, pompous _man _she had ever met! But she held herself back for Da's sake.

"Who's that?" Sun Ce cried, pointing. A fat man with dark skin and small, calculating eyes was heading their way, weapons in hand.

"He's not much of a fighter alone, but he's got ten million guards with him!" Zhou Yu reported, holding his sword at the ready.

Da ran close, sending one of her fans whizzing out at Dong Zhuo's face. Her own features had a fury on it that Xiao had never seen before. Xiao could only gasp in awe as Da whirled around, executing perfect spins and twirls.

"And…I didn't think she was much of a fighter," Sun Ce gaped, standing back.

Xiao ran to help her sister, with a war cry that sent shivers down the back of everyone who heard it.

Zhou Yu sighed. "Can't she ever keep quiet?"

"Let's leave," Sun Ce commanded, drawing Da and Xiao back. "There's no end to Dong Zhuo's reinforcements."

Zhou Yu agreed. "Let's go."

Da, Xiao, Sun Ce, and Zhou Yu ran as fast as they could towards the escape point. Dong Zhuo ran after them, bellowing, "Cowards! Come back and fight!"

Xiao stiffened; her sense of honor telling her to go back and kill the idiot. But Da, sensing her sister's intentions, held onto her and hissed, "No!"

Xiao gave it up, sending Dong Zhuo a mental message that he was only being spared by her sister's grace.

And then they were out of the castle, out of Dong Zhuo's clutches, while he screamed in rage behind him.

Sun Ce helped Da onto his horse with a gentleness that he'd never shown before, and mounted up behind her, one hand holding the reins, the other hand secure around her waist. They had a moment of perfect peace and understanding. Next to them, however…

"Hey, no fair!" Xiao cried, squirming. "I wanna sit in the front!"

Zhou Yu shook his head. "No."

"Yes!" Xiao pouted, attempting to shove him off. Zhou Yu cast Sun Ce an exasperated look, but his brother was too busy goggling over Da to notice.

"Fine," Zhou Yu grumbled, determined to have a talk with Sun Ce as soon as they got home.

"Yay!" Xiao said in victory, and scrambled up on the black horse. "What a pretty horsie! His name is…Faithful."

"No, his name is Midnight," Zhou Yu said through clenched teeth.

Xiao tossed her head. "How uncreative. His name is Faithful."

A/N: Voila! Chapter Three! Don't you guys love me for updating so fast? Lol. Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

"So, are we going back to Fief Qiao, then?" Zhou Yu asked hopefully as they rode.

Sun Ce shook his head. "I've decided that they should come live at the Wu Palace."

"What?!" Zhou Yu nearly choked. "You can't be serious, brother!"

"Why not?" Sun Ce asked defensively. "For now, anyways. Fief Qiao is further away than our palace. We'll take them there for now, and then…decide what to do later, okay, bro?"

Zhou Yu sighed as he stared at the young woman in front of him. She had to be the most annoying girl he'd ever met. Still…there was something nice about the way his arms were wrapped around her waist. _To keep that young idiot from falling off_he told himself firmly.

After about half a day's ride, the foursome finally arrived at Wu Castle. Both Xiao and Da gasped as they saw it. Their castle back at Fief Qiao had been nice enough, but it was nothing compared to this.

"Wow…" Xiao gasped, looking up. The whole palace was made out of marble and gold. The grounds were paved with luscious green grass and tall fruit trees. Xiao fell in love with it at once.

Zhou Yu chuckled a little at her amazement. "What, you never saw this before?"

Xiao turned to him, her eyes too full of wonder to remember her former hatred of him. "No, it's so big!"

Sun Ce helped Da off her horse gently. Zhou Yu was about to offer his hand to Xiao to do the same, but she jumped off by herself.

Two liverymen hurried to take the horses to the stable. Zhou Yu grimaced. "Now to tell Sun Jian," he reminded his brother.

"Wait here," Sun Ce told Da and Xiao. Then he entered into his father's room.

Xiao tugged at Da's hand. "C'mon! Let's go eavesdrop!"

"Xiao Qiao!" Da frowned at her little sister. "Is this how you repay their kind actions towards us?"

"Aren't you curious just a _little _bit?" Xiao wheedled. Da had to admit that she was. Finally, she gave in, and both sisters stood listening outside the door.

"—MOST UNRESPONSIBLE, FOOLISH ACTION EVER!!" Sun Jian roared. "Is this how the future heir of Wu should behave?"

"Yeah, but they needed our help," argued back Sun Ce. "You always say we're supposed to serve the people!"

Sun Jian gave a sigh. "You could have been _killed _out there!"

Sun Ce rolled his eyes. "Oh, please, Father. It's not like ZU and I've been dozing off the past ten years at our fighting classes, you know."

Sun Jian glared at him. "You are _never, ever, EVER _to do that again, do you understand me?"

"Okay," muttered Sun Ce. The door opened, and Da and Xiao jumped back hastily.

Sun Jian appeared behind his son. His eyes widened as he saw Da, and he bowed. "We are glad to welcome you here, daughters of Duke Qiao," he said courteously. "Please, make yourselves at home."

Da sank into a low and graceful curtsy. "Thank you, my lord. My sister and I are forever grateful to you for your generosity."

Xiao stifled a sigh. She would _never _be as graceful or diplomatic as Da in these formal situations. Da cast a sideways grin at her sister, guessing her thoughts.

A maid hurried up, and showed the two girls to their rooms. Soon, though, Xiao got bored in her room and ran to see Da in hers—which was right next door.

"Wow," Xiao sighed in delight, sinking onto the big bed. "I wanna live here!"

"Maybe if you marry Zhou Yu," Da said slyly, a hint of a grin creeping into her face.

Xiao threw a pillow at her sister. "Yeah right! We hate each other."

Da didn't reply, but turned away with a furtive smile.

"Besides," added Xiao, reasoning that she too could play this game, "what about you and Sun Ce?"

Da blushed. "What about him, sister?"

Xiao laughed in delight. "Wow, sis! You could be queen if you married him!"

Da turned a most becoming pink. "Don't be ridiculous, Xiao Qiao. He will marry a great princess or a wealthy beautiful lady."

"You're pretty," argued Xiao.

"Yes, but our fief isn't rich enough to make us eligible to marry so high," Da replied modestly. She smiled at her sister. "But come. Let us not quarrel over this any more."

"Okay," agreed Xiao, swinging off the bed. "Wheeee!"

A knock at the door interrupted them. "Come in," Da called, straightening her skirt.

The door opened, and a young lady stood in the doorway. She looked about Xiao's age, with short brown hair and lively green eyes. She was taller than the Qiaos, and in her hands she held steel chakrams.

Da curtsied. "Hello."

Xiao skipped the formalities and ran up to the woman, grinning. "Hey, I'm Xiao Qiao! Who're you?"

The woman grinned down at Xiao. "I'm Sun Shang Xiang."

"You're a princess, huh?" Xiao asked. "Cool. My sister might marry your brother, didya know that?"

"Xiao Qiao!" Da exclaimed, scandalized. She tugged her little sister back, and glanced up at Shang Xiang, blushing. "I'm sorry; excuse my little sister's rudeness."

Shang Xiang laughed, looking her over. "It's okay. Besides," she added. "My brother needs a heartache or two. If you give him one, I'll be much obliged."

Da was a little confused, not sure how to answer. Shang Xiang nodded. "Anyways, welcome to Wu Palace, and I'll be in the courtyard if you need me," she told both girls, and left.

"Our new life," Xiao sighed happily.

Da looked around. Yes, her sister was right. This Wu Palace would become their new life. She had a feeling that they weren't going to go back to Fief Qiao for a long time.

A/N: Ahh! Is it just me, or are these chapters getting shorter and shorter?? I'll be fixing that...so anyways, thanks to everyone who's been reading this so far…and remember, reviews give me a warm fuzzy feeling inside! (hint hint :D) All hail the bunnies!

ily,

Jo


	5. Chapter 5

As it turned out, they were right. Sun Ce dispatched a letter to Duke Qiao, explaining the whole story. His reply was as follows:

I am much obliged to Sun Ce and Zhou Yu for helping my daughters at the hands of Dong Zhuo. I am afraid my wife and I must trespass on your hospitality for a while longer. I would be very grateful if you could lodge my daughters at the palace for a while, as we really have urgent matters here in Fief Qiao. I will, of course, send money yearly to provide for them. As both are nearing the marriage age, I will not protest if suitable husbands are found during this time.

I remain, yours gratefully,

Duke Qiao

Xiao's lips quivered after she read this note. "Father doesn't want us, does he?" she asked, staring at Da.

Da hugged her sister. "Don't be absurd, Xiao. You heard what Father said; he has business in Fief Qiao to take care of. Be glad we are safe and sound here."

Xiao didn't look convinced, but she knew better than to bring up the topic again. Da sighed and looked around the palace. "Come, Xiao. It is time for etiquette lessons."

Xiao groaned and looked up at her sister with pleading eyes. "Da, they're so dumb! Can't we go spar instead?"

Da shook her head gently. "Come, Xiao." Pouting, her little sister followed her.

The Etiquette lessons were really something to be dreaded, in Xiao's opinion. She cared nothing for learning how to curtsey, give diplomatic speeches, or the right way to accept flowers.

As Da was listening intently, Xiao slipped quietly out the door.

"Whew," Xiao breathed a sigh of relief and headed out to the gardens. The peach trees were now in season, and she wanted to pick some for her sister as a peace offering when Da found out that she had left.

Xiao looked around observantly, and spotted a huge tree ripe with peaches. She tore off her silk coat and fancy skirts, reavealing a pair of comfy shorts and a practical shirt.

As Xiao began to climb, she got the uneasy feeling that she was being watched. More than once she stopped to look around, but there was no one there.

At last, she reached the top of the tree where ripe peaches hung thick. She plucked one for herself, and then began filling her pockets with them.

Soon, she was done. Xiao began climbing back down. She was almost to the ground when her footing slipped and she fell, screaming loudly.

A flash darted by and caught her body solidly. Xiao squirmed, freeing herself, and then looked up, starting to apologize.

But the apology died on her lips when she saw who it was. Zhou Yu stood there, looking down at her with unfathomable expressions in his dark eyes.

Xiao salvaged what was remaining of her dignity and stood up, brushing herself. "Th-thank you," she stammered confusedly.

"You're welcome," Zhou Yu replied stiffly. Xiao bit her lip, and looked down. They waited in silence.

"Why are you not at your lessons?" Zhou Yu asked. To Xiao's surprise, his voice carried no hint of rebuke, only gentle amusement.

Xiao laughed, feeling a little more at ease. "Aw, come on! Don't tell me you've never cut a lesson before."

"Well," Zhou Yu admitted. "There was that one time I left History, I suppose."

"For what?" Xiao asked curiously, sitting down next to him underneath the tree. "Not for picking peaches?"

"Oh, no," Zhou Yu chuckled. "You see, there was this girl from Shu who had come by Wu Palace. At that time, Wu and Shu were allies against Wei. Her name was Yue Ying. She was—er, is—the most intelligent female I've met, and an able warrior as well."

Xiao wondered what the strange emotion rising in her heart was. It felt bitter and sorrowful.

"Was she pretty?" she asked, in a decently detached tone of voice.

Zhou Yu paused, reflecting. "It depends on who you ask. Yue Ying certainly wasn't a classical beauty, like your sister, but at the time I thought that she was lovely."

"Da is pretty," Xiao agreed, disregarding his last words.

"That she is," Zhou Yu agreed. He grinned at her. "Have you noticed that my brother is enamored with her?"

Xiao giggled. "That's what I thought, too! But Da won't believe it."

"Sun Ce's had several girlfriends before," Zhou Yu told her. "But something tells me that this time will be different."

Xiao's eyes opened wide. "Really? Do you think he'll marry her?"

Zhou Yu chuckled again. "Time will tell, little one."

"Little one?" Xiao made a face. "I'm not little!"

Zhou Yu looked down into her big eyes and noticed the gorgeous pout of her lip, the classical tilt of her nose. What was he thinking? he berated himself mentally, and looked away determinedly.

Xiao felt the change in emotion and rose up hastily to go. "Well, I'll see you around," she called, waving, and then broke into a brisk run for the palace.

Zhou Yu watched her go. He would have to watch himself around her in the future.

A/N: Ooh, I had fun writing this chapter. Well anyways, I know the Zhou Yu/Yue Ying was completely out of whack, but believe me, that is definitely not a pairing that'll be going on here…I just needed some nice, intelligent person to kinda stir up the jealousy in Xiao a little bit. Whee! Reviews would be awesome!

ily,

Jo


	6. Chapter 6

"Xiao Qiao, why must you always leave so?" Da chastised later that night. Xiao was spread out in an eagle position across the bed, taking the scolding in silence.

"Lord Sun Jian has been gracious enough to offer us these lessons," Da continued, her eyes penetrating through Xiao. "And this is how you repay him? By leaving simply when you feel like it?"

Remorse welled up in Xiao at her sister's mild but serious words. She catapulted herself into Da's arms, feeling like a traitor.

"I'm sorry," Xiao whimpered. "But it was so boring! And the peach trees were so big and inviting. I just had to go!"

Da stroked her little sister's unruly brown hair. "That's all right, Xiao. Just…try not to do it again, okay?"

"I'll try my very hardest," Xiao promised, and smiled up at her.

"So," Da commented, going over to the vanity table and loosening her thick braids. "What were you doing all that time, Xiao?"

"Talking to Zhou Yu," Xiao replied, blushing for some reason.

Da turned, her eyes flecked with amusement. "Oh really?"

"Yes," Xiao said defiantly, trying to stop the blushes from coming on. It was no use. She could feel her face getting hot. Why did Da have to have such big, expressive eyes?

"I see," Da said, and there was more than a little bit of laughter in her voice. "What did you two talk about?"

"He said he's cut class too," Xiao reported. "When Yue Ying came once, and I guess he really liked her, so he cut class to talk to her."

Da ran the brush through her heavy black locks. "Yue Ying? I have heard of her. She is very, very intelligent, and her skills in battle are not to be trifled with."

"So Zhou Yu said," Xiao replied, scowling.

Da's face clearly reflected her laughter. "Are you jealous, little sister?"

Fortunately, Xiao was spared from replying because at that moment, a knock sounded on the door.

"Oh!" Da dropped her brush, and clutched at her hair. "Xiao, Xiao, do not open it! My hair isn't up…"

But it was too late. Xiao had already opened the door, and Sun Ce walked in.

Da turned scarlet, hastily beginning to redo her hair. "I am sorry, my lord, I was not prepared to receive visitors," she murmured, taking pins from the table.

Sun Ce was stunned speechless for a minute. He hadn't realized that Da's hair was so thick, and long, and smooth. It took all his willpower to refrain from going over there and running his hands through it.

"That's…all right," he muttered, when he found his voice again. Xiao watched the scene interestedly.

Da gave up on her hair and simply slid a band over it, letting the rest hang loose over her back. "Is there something you wanted to say to us, my lord?" she added, with a look at Xiao.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Sun Ce cleared his throat and tried not to look at the lamplight reflecting off of Da's hair.

"My father is holding a ball in honor of you two," Sun Ce said, smiling. "It is to be tomorrow night. I am to escort you, Lady Da Qiao, and my brother will escort the Lady Xiao Qiao."

Da curtseyed low. "Please tell your father that we are honored by his attention."

Sun Ce stepped forward and kissed her hand, bowing. "I will do so. Good night, Lady Da Qiao." He opened the door and left.

Xiao squealed and jumped on the bed. "Yippee! A ball! It's going to be so much fun! And we can go down to the tailor's and get pretty dresses! Think how much fun it's going to be!"

Da had not responded, but was staring at the spot where Sun Ce's lips had touched her hand. Xiao frowned, glancing at her sister.

"Da?" Xiao waved a hand in front of her sister's face. "Come in, Da Qiao!"

"What? Oh," Da looked up, startled. She smiled at Xiao. "Yes, a ball will be great fun indeed."

"The only down side," Xiao reflected, propping her chin in her hands. "is that Zhou Yu will be escorting me. He probably doesn't even know how to dance!"

"You underestimate our gentlemen, Xiao," Da laughed. "They are required to take Etiquette lessons too, you know."

"Oh," Xiao made a face. "In that case, then he'll probably be all formal and icky."

The next day, Da and Xiao headed down to the dressmaker's abode. It was a small, sturdy, bamboo house. The dressmaker was old, but her hands were still as deft as ever and young ladies always came to her for dresses.

"Good morning," the dressmaker said in a quiet voice as Da and Xiao entered. "I am He Mei. What can I do for you?"

Da curtseyed low. "Good morning, He Mei. My sister and I wish to each have a dress for an upcoming ball."

"Ah, a ball," He Mei smiled and lowered her eyes. "How glorious to be young and full of life." She looked up for the first time at Da, and her eyes grew wide.

"You are, without doubt, one of loveliest girls ever to enter," He Mei remarked frankly, putting her cloth aside and standing up. "Who are you?"

Da blushed. "My name is Lady Da Qiao, and this is my sister, Lady Xiao Qiao."

He Mei smiled slowly. "The beauty of the Qiaos is famous all throughout China. I am honored that you asked me to make your dresses."

"We've heard that you're really, really good," Xiao piped up, grinning at the elderly lady.

He Mei smiled kindly down at her. "Experience has taught me much, young one."

Usually Xiao went into a raging fit if she was called "young one" or "little girl." Coming from He Mei's lips, though, it sounded like a compliment. Xiao smiled.

He Mei beckoned for the girls to follow her. "The right cloth is the base of a good dress," she said in her low, lovely voice. She opened a flap and Da and Xiao stepped in.

And gasped. The entire room, so large that it was almost amazing, held cloths and fabrics of every imaginable kind. The walls were draped with soft red silks imported from India, beautiful bolts of satin, lace of every design and color, and lastly—patterns. Dress patterns, sketched on stainless white paper (a rarity in those days), adorned one whole side of a wall.

"It's amazing!" Xiao murmured, struck with awe. She ran over and fingered a gold cloth lovingly.

He Mei smiled. "I am glad you think so. It was the work of many years to gather all these cloths, my lady."

"I am sure," Da agreed, walking over to the cloths. She turned. "I wonder, He Mei, could you give us a moment to look?"

"But of course," He Mei curtseyed gracefully and stepped out, leaving Da and Xiao alone to marvel at the cloths.

"No wonder He Mei has such a reputation, huh?" Xiao asked breathlessly. "Look at all this, sis!"

"Yes, it is certainly fascinating," answered Da, looking around. She paused. "All of these bolts are lovely, but I cannot seem to find the right one." She frowned in frustration.

"Yes, the 'perfect cloth'," Xiao replied teasingly. "Come on, Da. You know that there's no such thing as the perfect—" she broke off in midsentence, her eyes wide.

Xiao gaped at it. It was the most beautiful piece of cloth she'd ever seen. It was a light sheen of purple, so light that it seemed to be the work of fairies or elves. Beneath the purple was a thicker layer of white with tiny red threads woven in, in a peach blossom design.

Da turned and saw Xiao's expression. She grinned. "I'd say that you have found your perfect dress, my sister." She continued to look through the cloths.

And stopped. One piece of fabric in particular caught her eye. It was a bewitching color, a deep yet playful scarlet. On close inspection, Da could see tiny gold threads woven into the fabric in a dragon's design.

"Xiao Qiao?" Da called.

"Yeah?" Xiao wandered over.

Da smiled. "I've found my dress."

After settling everything with He Mei, Da and Xiao headed back up to the palace. Xiao wanted to experiment with a new hairstyle for the ball, so the two sisters spent all the rest of that evening preparing the hairstyle. At last, tired but contented, they fell asleep.

A/N: YAY!! A longer chapter!! Aren't you guys so proud of me! Lol. Anyways, I hoped you liked the patterns I picked out for Xiao and Da's dresses…they were just little thingies floating around in my imagination that I put into the book. :D Review, pretty please with a fuzzyfirebunny on top!

ily,

Jo


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Da and Xiao got up bright and early to pick up their dresses. He Mei was a fast worker, and she had both of them done by the time Da and Xiao arrived. They thanked her enthusiastically and returned to the palace.

Meanwhile, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu were both getting fitted for the ball as well.

"This is terrible," Sun Ce grumbled, pulling at the stiff collar. "There's no WAY I can endure this for a whole evening, ZU."

Zhou Yu smirked at his brother. "Guess you should've gone to a few more formal parties, huh? Then you'd be used to these types of outfits. Like I am."

"Oh, that's a great help," Sun Ce retorted. He winced as the rough fabric scratched his skin, making it itch. "Are you prepared to escort the Lady Xiao Qiao?"

It was Zhou Yu's turn to wince. "I don't have a choice, do I?" The annoying girl would probably be talking her head off the entire time. That wasn't Zhou Yu's idea of fun.

"Da is gonna be beautiful," Sun Ce said dreamily, forgetting about the collar for a moment.

Zhou Yu was silent as he contemplated. Sun Ce's marrying Da Qiao wouldn't be too bad of a match, but everyone (his father included) expected him to make a wealthy and advantageous marriage. Recently, the name Lady Mei Li had come up. She was rumored to be very beautiful, and her family (Fief Ye) was second richest only to the Sun family. It was well known that Lord Sun Jian approved the match heartily. He frowned. Here was something to think about.

"There, my lords, you are done," the tailor proclaimed. Zhou Yu could hear Sun Ce's audible sigh of relief as he got back into his own loose garments.

"By the way," Zhou Yu commented casually as they walked back down the corridor. "Did you ever hear of a Lady Mei Li?"

Sun Ce wrinkled his nose. "Her name means 'Lady Beautiful'?"

"It's a well deserved name," Zhou Yu defended. "I've heard that she is lovely beyond belief."

Sun Ce shrugged. "I don't think I've ever heard of her." He looked at his brother suspiciously. "Why?"

"Nothing," Zhou Yu answered, putting a bland look on his face. Sun Ce grunted but let it go.

"Ah, there you are, Sun Ce!" Sun Jian came hurrying out of his office.

"Hello, Father," Sun Ce greeted him. "What is the matter? Has there been an ambush or raid of some sort?"

"No, no, no, nothing like that," Sun Jian assured his son and Zhou Yu. "It's just that I need someone to escort Lady Mei Li down to the ball tonight. She's coming, you know."

"Father," Sun Ce explained patiently. "Zhou Yu and I are already escorting two ladies. Lady Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao. I'm afraid you'll have to find someone else."

"Nonsense," Sun Jian looked at his son sternly. "Someone _must _escort Lady Mei Li, and, as the royal heir, it is only proper."

Sun Ce frowned. "You're not suggesting…"

"Yes," Sun Jian answered firmly. "I am very sorry about Lady Da Qiao, but Lady Mei Li takes precedence."

"And me, my lord?" Zhou Yu spoke up.

"You may still escort Lady Xiao Qiao," Sun Jian told him.

"What about Lady Da Qiao?" Sun Ce demanded. "Who's going to escort her?"

For the first time, the hint of a smile touched Sun Jian's lips. "Ah, yes. I've gotten Gan Ning to escort her." He smiled. "I am hopeful that they will make a match of it. That would be a great asset to our kingdom."

Sun Ce turned so pale that Zhou Yu was afraid he would pass out. He gripped his friend's forearm firmly and hastily interceded for him.

"Thank you, my Lord," Zhou Yu said politely. "Good bye." Sun Jian nodded briefly and walked away.

Zhou Yu dragged Sun Ce into the peach garden behind the palace. Once they were there, Sun Ce began to splutter indignantly.

"How dare he!" Sun Ce growled, picking a peach off of the ground and throwing it across the garden with vigor. "My father doesn't even think about the insult to Lady Da! And now I have to take some prissy girl named Mei Li?" His eyes shot sparks.

Xiao, hidden in the leafy boughs of the peach tree, clamped her hand firmly over her mouth to stop from shrieking. She steadied herself on the branch and listened carefully.

"…know you're upset," Zhou Yu was saying, "but think about it logically, Sun Ce. Someone _must _take Lady Mei Li."

"Gan Ning could," Sun Ce practically spat the name out.

"Gan Ning isn't royal blood," Zhou Yu pointed out matter-of-factly. He stared hard at his sworn brother. "Think about it, Sun Ce."

Sun Ce's face hardened, and then suddenly he sighed and slumped against the tree trunk. "Life sucks."

Zhou Yu smiled bitterly. "Tell me about it."

"Well," Sun Ce said gloomily, picking up a twig and turning it around in his fingers. "How are you and Xiao Qiao getting along?"

Now it was Zhou Yu's turn to wince. "Tolerably well," he answered stiffly.

Sun Ce turned to look at him with eyes flecked with amusement. "Oh?"

Zhou Yu shrugged. "She can be quite annoying at times, brother. For one, she never stops talking and never acts her age."

Xiao blinked away tears. He was a horrible, cruel, mean man! Not wanting to hear any more, she slipped silently down the other side of the tree trunk and crawled though the hole in the garden wall, rivulets of water streaming down her cheeks.

"She can't be that bad," Sun Ce comforted his brother.

A small smile touched Zhou Yu's lips. "I will say this for her—she's very open, and charming. And…" he paused, "rather pretty."

Sun Ce turned away to hide a smile. He'd have to keep an eye on the progress of this unexpected relationship.

The very next morning, Lady He Mei arrived at the Wu Palace in great splendor. She rode a gold carriage, pulled by four milk-white horses. Behind her was a procession of servants bearing gold, silver, and jewels, all presents for the royal family.

Lord Sun Jian himself was there to welcome her. He nodded in acknowledgement of the graceful curtsy that Lady He Mei gave.

"Welcome to Wu Palace, Lady He Mei," Sun Jian said in a deep, kind voice. "We sincerely hope that you enjoy your stay here."

Behind his father, Sun Ce scrutinized He Mei as she rose from her curtsy. She was tall, with black hair and even blacker eyes that sparkled in the sun. Her nose was high; her cheekbones fine; and her lips full and well formed. There was no denying that she was a beautiful woman. But somehow, Sun Ce didn't feel any of the thrill or nervousness that he did whenever he looked into Da's hazel-gray eyes.

"May I present my son, Lord Sun Ce," Sun Jian said formally, stepping aside. Lady He Mei glanced up and immediately lowered her eyes.

"An honor, my lord," she said in a low, musical voice. Sun Ce said the required proper protocol, but his heart wasn't in it.

Watching the procession from her window in the palace, Da gave a silent sigh. She'd been informed that morning by Gan Ning that Sun Ce would be unable to escort her. Since then, she hadn't felt like doing much of anything but sitting and mulling over things.

Da pressed closer to the windowpane, trying to see Lady He Mei's face. Her efforts were in vain. The noble lady was simply too far. But although Da couldn't see the faces, she could see the gold carriage, the jewels and coins, the servants that followed Lady He Mei. And she could see Sun Ce bending down—tenderly, she thought—to kiss He Mei's hand.

Composing herself, Da turned away from the window. It didn't matter if Sun Ce noticed her or not. She would amuse herself at the ball tonight. Thinking back to Gan Ning's handsome, rugged face and flashing grin, Da felt her pulse quicken. Perhaps that was a sign—a good omen.

A/N: Squee!! Another longer chapter!! So anyways, for those of you who are out there glaring at the Gan Ning/Da Qiao twist, I give my most sincere apologies and beg you to stay with me! It's temporary. Very much so. And there's going to be DQSC fluff in the chapter after next! YAY! Reviews would make me really happy and hyper!!!!

ily,

Jo


	8. Chapter 8

The servants spent all afternoon preparing the ballroom for the dance that night. By the time Xiao peeked into the grand room in the evening, it looked like the work of fairies and elves. She grinned in delight.

"Lady Xiao Qiao," a voice said coolly from behind her.

Xiao turned around, her smile falling a little as she saw Zhou Yu. Still, she resolved to be polite, and, dipping a proper curtsy, managed to say pertly yet coldly, "What can I do for you, Lord Zhou Yu?"

"Uh…" Zhou Yu's mind went blank suddenly. His brain fumbled for an excuse and came up with one. "I wanted to give you this corsage." He produced a rose, which he had plucked for Yue Ying that afternoon, and gave it to Xiao.

Xiao gaped openly at him in astonishment as she looked at the beautiful, lush rose. "It's…lovely. Thank you very much."

Zhou Yu coughed and tried to regain his dignity. "Young ladies must be conducted into the ballroom properly. In your case, my own reputation depends on it."

Xiao stared up at him and her eyes grew cold. "I should've known," she said haughtily. "_Your _reputation." She paused for a fraction of a second and made a formal little bow. "Till evening, _Lord _Zhou Yu." And with that, Xiao walked away.

When she was gone, Zhou Yu swore under his breath and cursed himself for a blithering idiot. What in Wu had possessed him to do that? Not to mention that he had spent the good part of an hour that afternoon searching for that rose. He sighed and walked down the hallway.

Meanwhile, Da was in her room, getting into the new dress. Two maids stood around her and helped her fit into it. The dress slipped on perfectly, and Da turned towards the mirror.

"My lady looks beautiful," Gan Ning said with a bow, but a mischievous twinkling of his eyes.

Da smiled at him. She was very relaxed around Gan Ning, and resolved to enjoy herself tonight at the ball with him. Never mind what Sun Ce and He Mei were doing, she told herself firmly.

Gan Ning smiled his rugged smile and took Da's soft hand in his own rough ones. "I have a surprise prepared for you, my lady."

"Da," Da said boldly, surprising herself. "Please call me Da."

Gan Ning led the way to a beautiful garden, decorated with all of Da's favorite plants. Orange blossoms, lilies, and of course, her favorite, roses, were all there.

"Oh!" Da cried, and stepped into the garden like one in a dream. "It's beautiful!" She turned back to Gan Ning. "Did you do this?"

"No, my lady, I found it here," Gan Ning replied.

Da narrowed her eyes playfully. "You don't fool me, Lord Gan Ning. The soil around these roses here is fresh—you did it yourself."

Gan Ning blushed and looked down. "I made some modifications for you, Da."

"It's the loveliest thing I've ever seen," Da said, giving him a warm hug. "Thank you so much."

Meanwhile, Sun Ce was giving He Mei a cursory tour of the palace. After every room, he glanced at the time. Would he have time to spend with Da that afternoon before the ball?

"This is the library," he found himself saying, gesturing to the large room filled with dusty volumes. "This is Zhou Yu's favorite refuge."

"Zhou Yu?" Lady He Mei lifted a graceful eyebrow.

"He's my sworn brother," Sun Ce said shortly, trying to be polite.

He Mei nodded in polite interest.

"And this," Sun Ce added, leading the way to the indoor court, "is the Sparring Ring." He looked at it fondly.

Lady He Mei shuddered. "How horrid! I have never seen the point of hitting one another with weapons, I'm afraid. In fact, I faint at the sight of blood."

Sun Ce stifled a sigh. How different He Mei was from Da! Sure, fighting wasn't one of Da's favor_o_ite recreational activities, but she was a valuable and cool ally in the midst of battle. Not to mention what her fans could do when she was furious. Sun Ce was surprised that Dong Zhuo's guards hadn't turned tail and run for their lives.

"Well," Sun Ce responded, trying to be polite. "I'm afraid it is rather a masculine sport, my Lady."

"What was that, brother?" Lady Sun Shang Xiang, Sun Ce's younger sister, appeared, grinning, with her hands on her hips and chakrams dangling by her side. "Care to repeat?"

Sun Ce grinned in reply, silently thanking her for showing up when she had. Shang Xiang winked a reply, and then added teasingly to Lady He Mei, "My brother has probably been boring you to death with all that bragging of his."

"Oh, no, not at all," He Mei replied graciously. "He has been a most generous host." She flashed him a shy smile.

Shang Xiang regarded the two of them with barely masked interest. "Well, I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about," she said abruptly, "so I'll be going. See you at the ball tonight."

"Good bye," He Mei replied. Shang Xiang skipped off.

Sun Ce finished off the tour with as much politeness as he could and then rushed off to find Da. As he neared the back of the palace, he heard voices and paused.

"…is really amazing, what you have done," Da remarked.

Gan Ning replied in his deep voice, "I am glad it pleases my Lady." He paused. "Shall we go? I believe the ball is about to begin."

There was a rustle as Da gathered her skirts and stood up. "Yes, of course." Sun Ce had a visual picture of Da offering her slender arm to that…that _oaf. _He scowled and quickly walked away. The idea of Gan Ning taking Da!

The ball that night was grand. Even though the Sun family, as the royal family, hosted many banquets each season, each one was no less amazing than the last.

Sun Ce privately grimaced as he stood next to his father in his stifling dress clothes, counting the seconds until he could politely excuse himself.

"Sun Ce," Sun Jian leaned over and whispered to his son.

"Yes, Father?" Sun Ce asked hopefully. Maybe his father had a task for him, like practicing sparring in the ring with a newcomer. Anything would be better than this.

"I would like you to introduce the two Qiaos," Sun Jian told him smoothly. He raised an eyebrow. "After all, it was you and Zhou Yu who invited them here, is it not?"

"Yes," mumbled Sun Ce. He didn't want to be around Da if she was going to be anywhere near Gan Ning, but there was no arguing with his father. "All right."

Just as he finished speaking, Da and Xiao made their entrance, leaning on the arms of Zhou Yu and Gan Ning. Sun Ce smiled in amusement at his brother, dressed up in formal wear, but his eyes were almost immediately drawn to Da.

She looked lovely beyond imagination. Her long, loose hair was left unbound, streaming in thick waves down her back. The well-cut dress accented her full figure and trim waist. She wore no jewelry, but for a small ruby pendant which gleamed in the white, milky hollow of her throat.

Sun Ce cleared his throat and stepped sideways as the two women passed by. Zhou Yu and Gan Ning waited patiently at the bottom of the pedestal.

Sun Ce took a deep breath. "It is our pleasure tonight," he began, his voice sounding loud in his own ears, "to welcome these two ladies of Fief Qiao. They have prolonged their original stay with us, and we have all been charmed with their presence. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Ladies Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao."

Da curtseyed gracefully as the sound of applause filled the ballroom. Her eyes were lowered, as a modest lady's should be, but her eyes were sparkling and full of fun. Sun Ce glanced down at her and saw her wink, then saw the replying wink of Gan Ning. He seethed silently.

At that moment, the orchestra began to play, and Sun Ce had no choice but to turn to He Mei and lead her out onto the dance floor. He expected to see Da swaying with Gan Ning, but to his surprise, she was nowhere to be seen.

As soon as the first few dances were over, Sun Ce excused himself and stepped out of the ballroom. Where in Wu could she be? He hadn't seen Da since before the first dance.

At last he found her in the gardens, her face turned away from him and gazing out over the Wu territory. The garden was a terrace garden, which afforded a beautiful view.

At the sound of steps, Da started and stood up, turning around. "Lord Sun Ce," she said in a calm, composed voice. Sun Ce's heart sank at the very coolness of it.

"What are you doing here, Da Qiao?" he asked in the same tone.

Da's composure faltered a little, but then she lifted her chin. "I was tired from the dancing and wanted to get a breath of fresh air."

"Dancing?" Sun Ce came closer, trying to keep a grip on himself as the scent of her perfume wafted over him. "I didn't see you on the ballroom floor."

"No doubt," Da said politely, her eyes on the ground. "You seemed…otherwise occupied with the Lady He Mei."

Sun Ce frowned in confusion. What did she mean? Then, comprehension dawned on him like a flash. "Da," he said gently, taking yet another step closer. "I apologize for not being able to escort you."

"It is of no importance," Da answered almost carelessly. "I was well entertained by Lord Gan Ning."

Sun Ce almost lost his control. He gave a disbelieving snort. "Gan Ning is no more a lord than I am a flying monkey."

Da's eyes flashed. "On the contrary," she flared up. "I found him to be a man of…" her eyes drifted up to his face, "honor."

Sun Ce stood stunned as she swept past him and out of the door, disappearing from the garden like a wild fairy. When her footsteps faded away, he sat down on the bench, groaned, and put his head in his hands. What had gone wrong?

A/N: Tear. I hate it when they fight!! But I thought that this was a necessary part of the book, so I put it in…but keep reading everybody, cause the next chapter is waaay cute majorly fluffy (maybe some slightly adult themed) ROMANCE!! Woo000t!

ily,

Jo


	9. Chapter 9

Meanwhile, Xiao was enjoying herself immensely on the dance floor. She hated it when Da made her go to those boring dancing lessons, but out here, in the ballroom, it was so different. The steps came naturally to her and it was fun!

Zhou Yu stood on the side, watching as Xiao swept by, gorgeous color in her cheeks. He looked at the pretty boy she was dancing with and grimaced. Surely she deserved better than that?

"Hey, Zhou Yu," Shang Xiang stepped up to him and nudged him.

Zhou Yu looked down in surprise. "Oh. Shang Xiang. I didn't see you there."

"Obviously," Shang Xiang rolled her eyes expressively and smirked. "Too busy goggling at Xiao Qiao, huh?"

Zhou Yu scowled at her. "Not at all. I was merely admiring the orchestra."

"Which is behind you?" Shang Xiang asked, still grinning in amusement.

Zhou Yu flushed. "All right, all right. I was watching the dancers. Are you satisfied now?"

"Nope," Shang Xiang sighed comfortably and stretched. "Not till you tell me which dancer in particular."

"I pick no favorites," Zhou Yu said coolly.

"Sure, sure," Shang Xiang replied easily, taking a sip of the honey nectar she had in her goblet. "So tell me…how are things progressing with you and Xiao?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Zhou Yu sniffed. "We are…friends, certainly." He hesitated. Should he tell Shang Xiang? "She's been rather distant of late, though."

"Because of you, knucklehead," Shang Xiang told him fondly, giving him a gentle thwack with the side of her chakrams.

"Me?" Zhou Yu turned to stare at her. "What have I done?"

"She overheard you in the gardens talking with my brother," Shang Xiang said. "Remember?"

"What?" Zhou Yu paused for a minute, and then the memory came floating back. "Oh, right. But I said that she was open and charming."

Shang Xiang swirled the contents of her drink. "But before that you said she was annoying and didn't act her age."

Zhou Yu blushed. "She heard that?"

"Yup," Shang Xiang gave a little laugh, but her eyes were on Xiao. "And cried herself to sleep about it."

Zhou Yu gaped at her in astonishment. "So that's why she doesn't talk to me anymore!"

Shang Xiang tapped the side of her glass with a fingernail and looked at Zhou Yu. "Take this from a sister who cares about you," she advised. "Don't let the woman of your dreams pass you by because of a stupid blunder you made." With that, she walked away.

Zhou Yu watched as Shang Xiang slipped out of the ballroom. She was right. Plucking up his courage, he walked out to the dance floor and politely tapped Xiao's arm. She was laughing, her eyes full of fun, but then she saw Zhou Yu, and her bright demeanor immediately dropped.

"Lord Zhou Yu," Xiao said stiffly, inclining her head as a proper lady should.

"Xiao," Zhou Yu heard the hardness in his voice and made an attempt to soften his tone. "May I have this dance?"

Xiao stared at him, confused. He didn't like her, did he? How could they be friends after the mean, cruel thing he'd said in the gardens? Those words still echoed through her mind every night as she fell asleep.

The dance started and Zhou Yu, seeing that she wasn't about to answer, gently grasped her arm and led her out to the dance floor.

"I'm sorry for what I said in the gardens that day," Zhou Yu whispered in her ear. "Believe me, Lady Xiao Qiao, when I say that I did not mean it and I regret it with all my heart. You are a charming, beautiful, young woman."

Xiao looked at him, astounded. This was probably the longest monologue she'd heard from him. With all the lightness and brevity of her nature, though, she immediately grinned at him. "You're forgiven," she said, and a great relief seemed to come upon her heart, though she didn't know why. "I'm glad we're friends again!"

"So am I," Zhou Yu smiled, and watched her twirl in his arms. _I wonder if I can ever make her care for me_, he wondered, with a pang of self-distrust.

Shang Xiang wandered the corridors of her palace alone, thinking hard. The Qiaos couldn't stay here forever, that much was certain. Her father, Sun Jian, would have the good sense to marry them off to some neighboring prince or duke before long.

She sighed. They had grown to be like sisters to her. Determination flashed in Shang's amber eyes. She would make sure they didn't leave! Zhou Yu was fond of Xiao, she knew. Hopefully they would be able to patch things up tonight. And Da and Ce were as close as any couple could be.

Shang Xiang was so busy reflecting that she didn't realize she wasn't alone. The sound of soft footsteps alerted her, though, and she spun around, chakrams at the ready.

But it was only Da. Shang Xiang lowered her weapons, frowning in confusion. "Lady Da? Are you all right?"

Da swiped at her eyes with her hand and managed to look up. "Yes, thank you, Lady Shang Xiang. I'm quite all right."

Abandoning all pretense of formality, Shang Xiang rushed forward and put a comforting arm around Da's shoulders. "What's wrong, Da? I know you better than that."

"I-it's Sun Ce," Da said, sniffing. "He-he realized I was with Gan Ning and then—oh, I don't know, Shang Xiang! We just both lost our tempers."

Shang Xiang snorted. "Please, Da. It was probably entirely my brother's fault. He can be such a hotheaded self-absorbed prig."

"Oh no, don't say that!" Da exclaimed, looking up earnestly. "He is one of the noblest, most caring men I know."

Shang Xiang had to work to suppress a smile. Even when she was hurt and angry at him, Da still flared up to defend her brother. That had to mean something, didn't it?

"Look," she said, softening her voice, "I'll talk to him for you, all right, Da? I'm sure it was all just a misunderstanding."

Da stood up, her composure calm and graceful again. "I thank you very much for your intentions, my sister," she said, "but this is something I have to do myself. If you'll excuse me," Da curtseyed and hurried away.

Shang Xiang's lips curved into a smile. Perfect. At the rate this was going, they'd have the Qiaos settled down in no time.

Da gripped her skirts more tightly as she hurried through the walls of the palace. Now that Sun Shang had put it into perspective, she felt ashamed for what she had said earlier. Sun Ce had only been acting as a concerned friend might—she had had no right to yell at him.

She reached his office and paused for breath, putting a hand on her chest to calm herself down. Da knocked three times and waited.

There was no answer. Puzzled, Da glanced at the door, and then realized—of course, why would he be in his study at this hour of night? He must be in his bedroom.

With determination, Da turned away and headed down a different corridor, seeking Sun Ce's room. It took her a while, but eventually she found it: a large, majestic door carved with gold lions. Sun Ce's name was engraved into the precious metal.

Taking a deep breath, Da knocked. This was it. She cringed, waiting for an explosion or an outburst of anger.

But to her surprise, Sun Ce's expression was kind and gentle. Da raised her head, took the hand he offered, and entered the room.

"I am sorry for the way I acted earlier," Da began, twisting her hands together. She looked up into Sun Ce's eyes. "The fault was entirely mine, my lord."

"Oh, Da," Sun Ce crossed the room in three long strides and took her into his arms. "We were both overreacting, and I'm sorry too."

Wrapped in the strong embrace of his arms, Da felt entirely safe and secure and at peace. She nestled closer, savoring in the way his body surrounded hers.

Sun Ce looked down at her, and his heart soared. _This _was the woman of his dreams, and she was right here, with him. He tightened his grip around Da's waist. How could he have ever been so stupid as to argue with her?

"Don't think that," Da murmured, as though she could read his thoughts. "All couples argue, you know. It's a part of love."

"Oh, so we're a couple now?" Sun Ce said teasingly, stroking her hair.

Da blushed. "I-my lord, that is not—"

But Sun Ce silenced her by pressing his lips down to hers. Da's eyes widened as she let herself get lost in the sensations. He was so warm, and strong—she knew he'd protect her forever. As his tongue gently teased her lips, she allowed him entrance, and feelings that she hadn't known existed burst into color in her heart.

Sun Ce slipped his hands under the smooth fabric of Da's dress, astounding himself with his own boldness. To his surprise, Da wriggled closer. Sun Ce slipped the dress off of her lovely shoulders, and both of them were lost in bliss until morning.

A/N: Awwwww!! That was so much fun to write. And all of you Xiao Qiao/Zhou Yu fans out there, don't worry, I promise you that their turn is coming up soon! MWAHAHAHA…oh, I love fanfiction. Review, my wonderful little people!! (Actually…seeing as I'm quite short…most of you guys are probably taller than me, so disregard that…)

ily,

Jo


	10. Chapter 10

Early the next morning, Shang Xiang crept to her brother's room and heard the murmured sound of talking coming from within. She smiled furtively to herself. One down, one to go!

Zhou Yu was sitting in his rooms, pondering. He was wondering how to make it up to Xiao, but when he tried to plan ideas for a "date" (for lack of a better word, he told himself), nothing came to mind.

The great strategist sighed in frustration and dropped his pen down on his desk. At that moment, Sun Ce came in, looking as though he'd had twelve hours of sleep instead of eight.

"You're looking cheerful today," Zhou Yu said, taking in his brother's appearance.

Sun Ce merely smiled, but gave no answer. Yu raised his eyebrows. _Hmmmm_¸ he thought with more than a hint of amusement. _It seems my brother has fallen in love at last._

"Sun Ce," Zhou Yu asked suddenly. "If you wanted to take a girl out on a date, h-how would you go about doing it?"

"Well, I'd take her out to do something she enjoys, of course," Sun Ce said, as though this were common sense. He appeared to be nonchalant and uninterested, but inside he was jumping for joy. Well! To see his best friend and sworn brother settled down would be a pleasure. Now who was the lucky woman?

"Something she enjoys," Zhou Yu repeated, and suddenly, like a flash of light, it hit him. "Thank you!" he called to Sun Ce as he rushed out of the room. Sun Ce grinned.

Xiao was wandering around in the gardens when she saw Zhou Yu appear. She blushed without knowing why, and promptly fell from the tree she'd been climbing.

"Lady Xiao!" Zhou Yu rushed over to help the embarrassed damsel to her feet. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Xiao replied brightly, smiling up at her friend. "And guess what? It's Lord Sun Jian's birthday, so all lessons are canceled!"

Zhou Yu laughed. "That's perfect, little one. I have something I want to show you."

Xiao followed him, her eyes wide. "You do?"

"Oh, yes," Zhou Yu assured her. He led Xiao to the stables, where she swiftly mounted her favorite horse, a beautiful chestnut mare. Zhou Yu swung on beside her on his own black stallion.

"So where are we going?" Xiao asked, as they rode in an easy trot towards the fields on the outskirts of town.

"I brought Lady Yue Ying here when she came to visit," Zhou Yu explained, then immediately regretted his words. Xiao's face fell a little, but she tried to keep up her bright demeanor.

"Oh," she said. "So what is it?"

"It's an orchard full of fruit trees," Zhou Yu replied. "I thought we could have a little picnic."

At his words, Xiao's face lit up, and she grinned. "Wow! That's going to be so much fun!"

"I'm glad you like it," Zhou Yu smiled, and dismounted. Xiao stepped off of her mare easily and immediately began climbing one of the peach trees.

By lunchtime, the two had more than enough fruits, along with the food Zhou Yu had brought. As Xiao munched on her sandwich, letting the breeze play with her long brown hair, she felt utterly content.

Zhou Yu watched her, the picture of innocence, relaxing in the sun. He had tried to deny the fact for a long time, but now it was becoming futile. He'd fallen in love with the younger Qiao.

Not for her bright smiles and hyper moods, although they were charming. He'd gotten a glimpse of the true Xiao, the woman underneath the girl. The woman that she would someday become.

A lot of people thought that Xiao was just an immature but cute girl, caring for nothing but fun and laughter. He knew that wasn't true, just as he knew that she would be a wonderful and loving mother.

_Whoa. _Zhou Yu stopped himself in his mental ramblings and shook his head. What was he thinking?

"Hey, Zhou Yu?" Xiao took a bite out of her peach and looked at him thoughtfully. "What's love?"

Zhou Yu blushed and probably for the first time in his life was at a loss for words. "W-well, I suppose it's wanting to be with someone and…caring for them a lot," he ended rather lamely.

Xiao laughed, as though she knew the predicament going on in his mind. "You know what I think love is?" she asked seriously.

Zhou Yu plucked at a blade of grass. "What?"

"I think love is wanting to cherish and be with that person, even when you're mad or hurt at them," Xiao answered. She looked into Zhou Yu's eyes, and at that moment, the girl in her was gone. The woman, a true, endearing young woman, shone through.

Zhou Yu leaned closer and claimed her lips with his own. She tasted unbelievably soft, her lips still sweet from the peach juice. He closed the gap between them and took her body in his arms.

Xiao was dizzy, as though someone had set off fireworks in her head. It was a good kind of dizzy, though, she realized, a dizziness that she wanted to go on for forever. Fervently, she kissed Zhou Yu back, and realized—this was what she wanted.

Shang Xiang knew from the moment Zhou Yu and Xiao galloped off to the orchard that everything would be all right. She smiled and lay back on the warm, sweet grass. Her plan was almost complete.

"Hey, sis," her brother, Sun Quan, came up next to her. "So you've been doing a little planning without me, huh?"

Shang Xiang looked at him, her eyes wide. "Why, dear brother, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Quan rolled his eyes. "Please, Shang Xiang. Don't play the innocent. You've been trying to get those Qiaos together with Ce and Yu, haven't you?"

Shang Xiang scowled and threw a piece of grass at the tree. "How did you find out?"

Quan smiled smugly. "Oh, because I've been doing pretty much the same thing," he admitted. "With a little on the side," he added.

Shang Xiang narrowed her eyes at him. "A little on the side? What, is there some third Qiao sister I don't know about?"

Quan sighed. "You're so dense these days. Don't think I haven't seen you and Lu Xun together in the stables."

"Hey!" Shang Xiang said defensively, "I happen to enjoy taking care of my own horse, unlike certain others." She glared at him. "Xun is just helping out."

"Sure," Quan smiled and got up, brushing the dirt off of his pants. "I'll bet you never need my help though, do you?" he smirked at her and walked back inside.

Shang scowled at his retreating back. Brothers. They were just too nosy sometimes.

A/N: Aren't you glad how fast I updated!! Yay! I'm happy with my two awesome reviewers. :D Wo0t! So anyways…I know the "mature" Xiao that kinda came out in this chapter was a little out of character, but I always felt that underneath her bubbly personality she had a responsible side too…so what do you guys think? Review pretty please!!

ily,

Jo


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: YAY!! I updated!! All you guys should be so proud of me! Lol jk. Ummm...well here it is, chapter eleven!

One warm, spring day, Lord Sun Jian called both of the Qiaos into his study. Xiao and Da, who were picking fruit in the orchards, exchanged nervous looks as they headed inside to change.

"Lady Da Qiao, Lady Xiao Qiao," Lord Sun Jian inclined his head in acknowledgement as they entered his study. "Welcome. Please, take a seat."

Da sank into a grateful curtsy, while Xiao wobbled and did kind of a half bow. Then they both sat down. Xiao gulped and gripped Da's hand tightly underneath the desk.

"Your father has written me a long and detailed letter," Sun Jian explained, holding up an envelope and several sheets of paper. "He would like you to marry."

Da bit her lip. "Marry…who?" she asked tentatively, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Yeah, who is it?" chimed in Xiao. Somehow, hearing her sister's loud and confident voice gave Da courage. She smiled gratefully at Xiao, who grinned back.

"Well, your father did not specify the gentlemen," Sun Jian admitted. "But it seems to me as though there are no lack of suitable husbands within the palace."

Da swallowed. "Indeed, my lord."

"So I now pose the question to you two," Sun Jian smiled, looking down on the two Qiaos as a father might. "Do you have any young gentlemen in mind?"

They did, of course, but neither was bold enough to say so. It was a huge step from a simple date or a simple kiss to marriage. Seeing that Xiao wasn't going to answer, Da replied, "No, my lord, but we ask that you give us leave to search a few days."

"Certainly, certainly," Sun Jian agreed affably. "But of course," he added, "these few days cannot turn into a few years. I understand any qualms you may have about marrying, but these are your father's orders."

"We understand, Lord Sun Jian," Xiao answered.

"Then good bye, and I will talk to you again in a few days," Sun Jian said, and ushered them out the door. He stood by it for a while, watching the two girls talk quietly as they walked down the hallway, and then returned to his desk. He was disappointed that the Qiaos had no one in mind—but perhaps it was all for the best anyway.

"You're getting married?" Shang Xiang stared at Da in disbelief.

"Yes," Da answered, averting her eyes. She suddenly seemed to find the gold lacing in the carpet very interesting.

Shang Xiang gave a long sigh and huffed. This was not part of her plan. She patted Da on the arm and smiled. "I'm sure it will all turn out alright," she assured the older girl, and then rushed away to make sure it _did _all turn out right.

She found Lu Xun in the stables, as usual. "Xun, we have a problem!" Shang Xiang called, rushing in. She frowned. "Xun?"

Lu Xun poked his head out of a stall and gestured. "Over here. And what are you so riled up about?"

"You said this plan was flawless!" Shang Xiang accused him, taking a seat on an overturned bucket.

"What happened?" Lu Xun repeated, filling one of the feed troughs with oats.

"Lord Sun Jian wants the girls to get married," Shang Xiang explained, "only neither of them are willing to bring up Sun Ce or Zhou Yu."

"That's only to be expected," Lu Xun pointed out reasonably. "Sun Ce is the heir the throne, for goodness sake, not some pretty boy duke. And Zhou Yu is the chief strategist _and _his brother."

"Well yes, I know that," Shang Xiang sighed. "Maybe we should've started this plan earlier, so that my brother and Zhou Yu could've asked them for marriage outright—instead of all this crazy confusion."

"Undoubtedly," Lu Xun agreed, "but what's done is done. Now we need to find a way to set it right."

"Any ideas?" Shang Xiang asked glumly, petting one of the mares.

Lu Xun smiled slyly. "Actually…"

A few days later, Plan Elder Qiao was set into action. Shang Xiang watched from an upstairs window as Da headed out into the garden. It was a regular habit of hers, to sit down and read in the shade of an old peach tree during Sunday mornings.

Meanwhile, Lu Xun and Sun Ce were having a casual (but carefully planned) conversation in Ce's study.

"So what's up with you and Da Qiao lately?" Lu Xun asked as carelessly as he could.

"Oh, nothing much," replied Sun Ce. He sighed. "And that's just the problem, Xun. I don't know what to do next."

"Well, let's think," Xun said. (He rolled his eyes inwardly at Ce's shyness and—did he dare call it?—stupidity.) "Sun Ce and Da Qiao sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes…" He gestured with his hand for Sun Ce to fill in the blank.

"Actually, I never heard that rhyme," Sun Ce said thoughtfully. "How does it go?"

Lu Xun turned away for a minute and banged his head on the wall. "Marriage," he said exasperatedly. "Marriage, Ce!"

"Oh," realization dawned upon Sun Ce's face. "Wait—are you saying I should ask her to marry me?"

Lu Xun took a deep breath to calm himself. "Yes, Sun Ce. That's exactly what I'm saying."

Sun Ce chewed on a fingernail. "Well, I guess I should practice what I'm going to say," he admitted, turning to Lu Xun. "Can you pretend to be Da for a sec?"

Lu Xun grinned. _Finally, _things were falling into place! "No problem, Sun Ce. Go ahead."

"Okay. Da, I really like that we've been—no, that's not right. All right. You're a beautiful, amazing, kind woman, and I'd be—no, that doesn't work either…"

Lu Xun checked his watch as Sun Ce rambled on. 11:08. He crossed his fingers and hoped that Shang Xiang and Da would be on time.

Meanwhile, Shang Xiang was doing some persuading of her own down in the gardens.

"Da, Sun Ce wants to see you," Shang Xiang said, taking a seat next to the girl.

Da Qiao frowned. "For what purpose?"

"Purpose? Oh…um, he didn't say," replied Shang Xiang. "All he told me was that he wanted you to go stand outside his door until he called you in."

The slightest of frowns creased Da's brow. "That is an odd request from my lord."

"Yeah, well, you know men," said Shang Xiang, giving a little laugh. "They're nothing if not odd. Now come on!" She checked her watch anxiously. They had two minutes.

Da sighed. "Can it wait, Shang Xiang? I would really like to finish this chapter…"

"No, no, no, it can't wait!" insisted Shang Xiang. "It's really urgent. Come on Da, we have to hurry!"

She barely gave Da a chance to speak as she hauled her to her feet.

"Oh, very well," agreed Da. She took her time closing her book, settling the bookmark, and getting. Shang Xiang was almost dancing with impatience.

She practically towed Da down the hallway and into the corridor that led to Sun Ce's study.

"Now, we wait outside the door," Shang Xiang said, and pulled Da over so that they could clearly hear what was going on inside.

Bewildered and confused, Da waited, but couldn't help overhearing.

"—beautiful, and I love to spend time with you, so will you marry me?" There was a pause. "No, that's not right." A sigh. "Da Qiao, you're the most amazing woman I've ever met, and I was wondering if you'd marry me?" Another sigh. "No, that's bad."

Da's eyes opened wide. "Is he—is he practicing to ask me to marry him?" she asked, blushing.

Shang Xiang nodded proudly. "Yup." Unabashedly, she opened the door.

Sun Ce gasped and blushed for what was probably the first time in his life. "D-Da! What are you—"

But Da silenced him by going over and pressing a kiss onto his lips. "Yes," she whispered, hugging him tight. "I will gladly marry you!"

Sun Ce's expression of confusion turned to joy as he embraced her back. Satisfied that their work was done, Lu Xun and Shang Xiang crept out, leaving the couple alone in the study.

"Part one of two, completed," Shang Xiang said with a satisfied sigh. She turned to look at Lu Xun, who was gazing at her oddly.

"What?" Shang Xiang asked, a little unnerved.

Lu Xun shook his head, as though to clear it. "Um, nothing," he replied, and the two headed down the hall, discussing their next plan: Plan Younger Qiao.

A/N: YAY!! Oh wow I can feel it, this story is almost done…Squee!! I'll be honest, though, I have absolutely no idea what Plan Younger Qiao is going to be…but I'll come up with something soon, I promise!! Meanwhile, everybody REVIEW please!!!! I get more inspiration that way. Oh, and because of Escorregadia's request, I will be making a Shang Xiang/Lu Xun pairing—prolly in the next chapter. Watch for updates!

ily,

Jo


	12. Chapter 12

Plan Younger Qiao took a few hours of musing and planning on Shang Xiang and Lu Xun's part. It was much harder to get the cool, level-headed (and suspicious) Zhou Yu to admit his undying passion that it was Sun Ce. As a result, Shang Xiang and Xun agreed simultaneously that they would have to be careful.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Shang Xiang asked doubtfully as she and Lu Xun sat in the library, writing. They had decided to take a more indirect approach with this plan.

"Of course," said Lu Xun confidently. "Trust me."

Shang Xiang looked into his eyes. "I do," she whispered, and suddenly the two were caught up in their own dreamworld, their task forgotten.

Lu Xun's dark eyes captured her own light green ones intensely (A/N: are Shang Xiang's eyes light green? Sry in advance if they aren't…). Slowly, he leaned across the table, surprised that he was doing this. But to his surprise, Shang Xiang didn't try to pull away.

Their lips met, and instead of the gentle, unassuming kiss that Shang Xiang had expected, it was a kiss full of passion and need. Surprised but glad, Shang Xiang kissed Xun back just as furiously.

Hiding behind a bookshelf, Quan snapped a picture and grinned to himself.

After what seemed like an eternity, Shang Xiang drew back, blushing. She grinned at Xun, though, and they both got back to work on the plan.

Xiao woke up the next day to find the sun covered by a sheen of pearly gray clouds. She groaned in disappointment. She and Zhou Yu were going to go picnicking today!

Da walked into the room and drew open the curtains, smiling a good morning at her sister as she did so. "It seems like rain," the elder Qiao observed, looking up at the sky.

Xiao pouted. "Why does it have to rain?" she complained. "Yu and I were going on a picnic!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Da said sincerely, and came over to sit on her little sister's bed. "But I am sure there are other things you can do together inside."

"Yeah, I guess so," sighed Xiao. She brightened. "I know! We can have an indoor picnic!"

Da smiled approvingly. "Good idea! Where are you planning to do it?"

Xiao nibbled on one of her fingernails thoughtfully. "Hmmm. I guess we could do it in the greenhouse, what do you think, Da?"

Da nodded. "That sounds fine to me, little sister."

Outside the door, Shang Xiang gasped. "Oh no!" she whispered to Xun. "We only have until their picnic to plan this out!"

Xun nodded. "That _does _put us in a bit of a pinch."

Shang Xiang paced around, thinking hard. "We can do it," she decided. "I don't want to wait another day. You know that my father is going to call for them tomorrow!"

Xun agreed. "All right. You do your part with Xiao, and I'll do mine with Yu, okay?" With a nod, he left.

Shang Xiang carefully slipped a letter under the door, then knocked and fled down the hallway.

Da looked up. "Xiao, there's someone at the door," she said, taking a brush and running it through her hair.

Xiao walked over and opened the door. "There's nobody there," she said, sounding confused. Then she noticed the letter sitting on the ground. Picking it up, Xiao headed over to the bed.

Da looked over her sister's shoulder and read,

_My dearest Xiao Qiao,_

_You are the light of my life, the reason I exist. I know I may not always have realized it, but now I do, and I also know this—I love you more than anything else in the world. Thank you for being the little butterfly in my life, carrying me to new experiences and new feelings. I love you so much._

_Yours,_

_Devoted_

Da's mouth dropped open as she finished reading. "Xiao! This is a love letter!" She stared at her little sister. "You didn't tell me you had a boyfriend!"

Xiao blushed to the roots of her brown hair and hid behind her locks like a curtain. "Well…I don't, not really…"

Da laughed and wagged a finger. "Nonsense. Then who is the letter from?"

Xiao emerged from her curtain of hair, looking thrilled and hopeful at the same time. "Da! I think I know!" She grinned and hugged the letter to her chest. "It's from Zhou Yu!"

Da's eyes were almost as wide as saucers. "How perfect!"

"Perfect?" Xiao frowned and dropped her hands. "What do you mean?"

Da laughed. "I mean marriage, of course! Oh little sister, we live in a world where a woman's life is so hard. It would be the happiest day of my life to see you married to someone you truly love."

"Yes," Xiao said softly. "Someone I truly love…"

Lu Xun stole over to Zhou Yu's study, where he knew the strategist would be. Even when there were no wars, Zhou Yu enjoyed spending his time reading battle tactics and words of wisdom from great leaders.

Very carefully, he slid the letter as hard as he could underneath the door, knocked, and, like Shang Xiang, fled the scene.

Zhou Yu looked up, glad at the interruption. He had stayed up late reading last night, and his head ached a little. Some conversation—from Xiao Qiao, perhaps—would do him good.

But when he opened the door, there was no one there. He looked down, saw the letter, and brought it over to his desk to read.

_Dearest Zhou Yu,_

_I can't say how much you've affected my life since I met you!! Thank you so much for being my strong bodyguard, my helping hand. I realized a while ago that I love you and I wanted you to know…you've brought joy and happiness into my life. The way you help me do things, yet you can let me try new stuff on my own. Thank you so much!_

_Love,_

_Little Butterfly_

Zhou Yu looked up, a smile on his lips. There was no doubt who this letter was from. After all, who else could ever be nicknamed "Little Butterfly"? In that moment, he decided—he was going to do something about this love that both of them shared.

Xiao arrived at the Wu Palace Greenhouse a few minutes early, and set up the picnic near the sunflowers. She'd always liked them, because they were so bright and unashamedly beautiful. She grinned.

"Xiao," Zhou Yu stepped in and took a seat on the other side of the picnic cloth. "This looks wonderful, everything you've prepared."

Xiao beamed. "Do you like it? Da helped me cook a little, but I did most of it myself."

"Really?" Yu's eyes widened as he surveyed the picnic, expertly laid out and smelling of all of Xiao's favorite food. "I must say, you did a very professional job."

Xiao smiled at him. "Thanks." She served the food, and the two began to eat. The silence was a little awkward at first, because neither of them could forget the letters.

"Listen, Xiao, about the letter," Zhou Yu began.

"Yes, I feel the same way!" blurted out Xiao, leaning forward eagerly.

Zhou Yu frowned a little. "Yes, I know…you did send me that letter, didn't you? Little Butterfly?"

Xiao looked confused. "What are you talking about? I never sent a letter…I was talking about the one you wrote me."

"I didn't write you a letter," Zhou Yu said. Now he was really confused.

Shang Xiang exchanged looks with Lu Xun from behind a potted plant. Yikes! "I think it's time for us to step in," she whispered, and Lu Xun agreed.

"The truth is," Shang Xiang said, coming out, "neither of you wrote those letters…we did."

Zhou Yu and Xiao looked up at them in astonishment. "You did?" they asked in unison.

"Yes," Lu Xun sighed. "Sun Jian plans to marry off the girls in a few days. We hoped that this match might work out, you know. You can't blame us!"

Xiao looked at Zhou Yu, blushing. "Well…I would certainly like it to, you know…"

Zhou Yu smiled. "Me too."

Xiao looked up. "Really? Honestly and truly? You want to marry me?"

Zhou Yu took her hand and marveled at the small fragility of it. "Yes," he answered, and when he spoke, his voice was warm and sincere.

Xiao catapulted (for lack of a better word) into Zhou Yu's arms and gave him a passionate kiss. It would have astonished any of the generals to see their main strategist, who was usually so cold and reserved, kissing her back with equal fervor.

Shang Xiang grinned at Lu Xun as they left the greenhouse, leaving the couple some time to themselves. "That went well," Shang Xiang said happily.

"Yes, although, I wasn't really planning on stepping in at all," Lu Xun grumbled. "It was supposed to work by itself."

Shang Xiang shrugged. "At least everything turned out okay in the end," she replied.

Lu Xun grinned. "How about we find a little closet of our own?"

"Xun!" Shang Xiang slapped him on the arm, but willingly followed him to a deserted part of the palace.

Part two of two of the plan was complete.

A/N: MWAHAHAHA!! I'm almost done!!! And this was a LONG chapter. Thanks to all you awesome people who reviewed, I love you guys! I think there'll be a little epilogue after this chapter and then…it's done! Anyways, I didn't really know Lu Xun's character, but I hope I did it okay. If I seriously screwed up and got his character wrong, I apologize in advance, but I'll probably be too lazy to fix it anyways. :D

ily,

Jo


	13. Epilogue

The next day, true to his word, Sun Jian called the two Qiaos into his study. This time, though, he beamed at them as they entered, having already heard the happy news from his son and Zhou Yu.

"Congratulations, Lady Da Qiao," Sun Jian said, kissing the hand of his future daughter-in-law. "Gods willing, you will be Empress of China someday."

Da Qiao blushed; this was a fate she hadn't even begun to contemplate. "Thank you, my lord."

"And you, little Xiao Qiao," Sun Jian smiled—no, grinned—upon seeing the younger girl wearing gifts of Zhou Yu's: a comb, a new bracelet, a ring. Everything about her radiated happiness.

"Yes, my lord?" Xiao Qiao lifted her chin and smiled.

"My utmost congratulations to you as well," Sun Jian replied. "It is an honor to have known the woman worthy of Zhou Yu."

Xiao laughed happily. "Thanks!"

They spent a little while in Sun Jian's office, talking about wedding plans and living plans afterwards. Then, the two sisters headed out into the back garden.

Da Qiao took a deep breath of the clean spring air, already warm with the promise of summer. "Do you know, Xiao, it will be two years we have lived here tomorrow?"

Xiao's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Really," Da agreed, smiling as she turned the ring on her hand. "How fortunate it was for us that it was Sun Ce and Zhou Yu who came to rescue us that night."

"It seems a lifetime ago," replied Xiao, who preferred not to remember their time of captivity at Dong Zhuo's hands.

"Indeed," murmured Da. "But now—a new life is beginning."

"Right!" said Xiao happily. "A new life, a new love, and much, much more laughter!"

Then, together, they headed back inside to begin their new lives.

A/N: wails I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE DONE!!!!!!!! I am so sad now…thanx to all my totally awesome reviewers because you guys were the inspiration for me to keep writing! So anyways…I promise to start another DW Fanfic soon…so keep an eye out for that!!

ily,

Jo


	14. Author's Note

Hey y'all! Soo…guess wat?!?!?! There's a SEQUEL to Life, Love, and Laughter! It's going to be about pretty much the same characters, but with an different plot line involving Mr. Moo Moo and just some different conflicts that Xiao, Da, and even Shang Xiang have within their marriages. You know me—I update fast!!

So everybody, thanks again for reading and reviewing and keep your eye out for the sequel: **Faith and Destiny!!!!!! **(Yea, cheesy name, I know, but whatev…)

ily,

Jo


End file.
